Written by Raffman - June 15th, 2004
Mystic River (2003)
Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Bacon, Laura Linney, Cayden Boyd, Kevin Chapman, Marcia Gay Harden
Director: Clint Eastwood
Rated: R
Rating: * * * * 4 stars
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I really wanted to see this movie when it originaly came out late last year; not because of the intense story which I hadn't really known too much about but simply based off the casting list itself. A Clint Eastwood directed film containing Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, and Sean Penn all in the same cast is just too good to pass up. Before I jump into a summary of the film's story, let me state that this movie is a MUST-SEE. Period. There's a reason why Sean Penn and Tim Robbins both walked away with Oscars this year, not to mention that this movie was nominated for Best Picture. The plethora of awards should and do speak for themselves: go see this movie!
Jimmy Markum (Penn), Dave Boyle (Robbins), and Sean Devine (Bacon) all grew up in the same Boston suburb, a neighborhood that usually was very calm and quiet. One day came along however that changed their lives forever; not only their lives but their friend's and family's as well. Posing as two cops, Boyle is lured by two pedophiles who kidnap him for 4 days, taking away any dignity a boy that young has. Nearly twenty-five years later the neighborhood is in for another nightmare as Jimmy's 19-year old daughter is murdered in the middle of the night. Now much older, all three of them are brought back together. Now a cop, Sean Devine is assigned the investigation of his friend's daughter's murder. Dave, still reeling twenty-five years later from the sexual abuse kidnapping, finds himself in a tight situation where trust and friendship are hanging by a thread. Jimmy, who is so enraged by his daughter's murder, is determined to find the killer, whatever it takes and by whatever means. It's an intricate story filled with intense drama; one that is captured beautifully by both the actors and by the producing staff.
From top to bottom Mystic River is absolutely delicious; starting with the acting down to the cinematography and finishing with the music. It is so well done that I had to find more about Clint Eastwood and his directing experience, and it has led me to some interesting facts. I found out that Eastwood only allows two cuts for each scene, which is brilliant and insane at the same time. This requires the actors to be serious and ready for each shoot because they only get two chances. Expanding from that piece of info leads us to see why Eastwood demands the finest actors for his films; not only for the lead roles but for all of them. Sure, having two Oscar-winning performances present in Penn and Robbins will make for a great film, but in reality it's the acting of the smaller roles that really push this film into the elite category.
As I look back at last year's list of Best Picture nominees I easily see why this movie was listed. Not only did it deserve to be there but it arguably deserved to win. Don't get me wrong, Return of the King was spectacular and I'm glad it won, but me thinks that they should have done a dual award for best picture. Mystic River is THAT good; you have to see it to believe it. It's out on DVD now so I highly recommend you go out and buy it; no need renting it because you're gonna want your own copy. Trust me. Four Unbelievable Stars.
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